Standards in International Telecommunications

ISOM 591

February 28, 2000

Why Nations Cooperate

Need universal standards to interconnect national networks

promote economies of scale, thus reducing transaction costs

derive logistical benefits for their citizens ensure that terrestrial facilities and satellites

can operate unimpeded act as good “global citizens”

The Management of Frequency Allocation

Power and

TelephoneRadio and television Microwave Infrared Visible

light

Frequency Hz

102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 1010 1011 1012 1013 1014 1015

Twisted pair

Coaxial cableOpticalfiber

Cell phone

Key Frequency Bands for Wireless

High Frequency HF 3-30 MHz Very High Frequency VHF 30-300 MHz Ultra High Frequency UHF 300-3000 MHz Super High Frequency SHF 3-30 GHz

– microwave

Extremely High Frequency EHF 30-300 GHz

Frequencies below HF are limited in bandwidth

Where the Action Is

Radio and TV broadcasters, mobile trucking and dispatching fleets, aeronautical and maritime communications, military communications, cellular communications, PCS, mobile satellites

VHF Very high frequency30-300 MHz

UHF Ultra high frequency300-3000 MHz

SHF Super high frequency 3-30 GHz

Some Regulation

FCC’s Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993– process for auctioning off a major block of

frequencies for narrow band and wide band PCS

– 50 MHz was allocated, with another 150 to follow over the next 15 years

– Commercial Mobile Radio Services

Frequency Allocations

3000 GHz unassigned 300 GHz satellite, microwave 30GHz satellite, microwave, radar 3GHz microwave, UHF TV 300 MHz amateur radio

FM radio (88 MHz - 108 MHz) 30 MHz citizens band radio 3 MHz radio navigation

AM radio (500 KHz - 1.6 MHz)

Frequency Allocations

300 KHz radio navigation, maritime communications

3 KHz human voice

300 Hz submarine communications

Standards Organizations

IFRB

International Standards Organization International

Telecommunications Union

American National Standards Institute GS IRCC CCITT

EIA IEEE COS

Federal Telecoms Standard Committee

NIST FCC DOF

ECMA CEPT

History of the ITU

ITU establishes common rules, regulations, standards, and policies in telecommunications

founded in 1865 when the Austro-German and Western European Telegraph Unions merged to supervise and establish standards for an interconnected regional network

consensus needed on Morse code and emergency frequencies

History of the ITU

29 nations collaborated in 1906 to form the IRU (International Radiotelegraph Union) to coordinate usage, agree on frequency bands, register station operations, and resolve cases of radio interference

there is a story that a ship was in the area where the Titanic was sinking but the radio operator was off duty

History of the ITU

In 1947, the ITU voted to become a special agency of the United Nations system and expand its role to– allocate and monitor the use of frequency spectrum– promote the development of technical facilities– eliminate interference– facilitate worldwide standards– promote adoption of measures that ensure safety of

life

ITU: Two Standards Making Bodies

CCITT – telephone and telegraph

CCIT– radio technologies

Does a split between wired and wireless make sense in today’s world?

History of the ITU

Three sectors– development of telecommunications facilities– telecommunications standardization– radiocommunication

» management of the radio frequency spectrum including registering frequency assignments liable to cause interference outside a country and notices for orbital positions of satellites

» major revisions in 1992-3

Standards Committees of the ITU

International Frequency Regulation Board (IFRB)– ensures technical cooperation on radio frequency

assignments, use of the frequency spectrum, positions of satellites

Consultative Committee for International Radio (CCIR)– responsible for standards concerning radio communications

General Secretariat– administers the Union’s headquarters

Standards Committees of the ITU

Consultative Committee for International Telephone and Telegraph (CCITT) is now the ITU-T– responsible for developing telephone and data

communications including services, systems, and digital networks like ISDN

– recommendations regarding telecom equipment, services

– the V series which defines analog standards

– the X series which defines digital and electrical interface standards between equipment

Standards Committees of the ITU

Consultative Committee for International Telephone and Telegraph (CCITT) is now the ITU-T– based in Geneva– membership consists of over 150 PPTs, private

telecom companies, industrial and scientific organizations

– ISO is a member of CCITT

Some Popular X and V Standards from CCITT

X.12 ANSI standard for EDI X.25 interface standard for packet switching X.400worldwide e-mail standard X.500worldwide directory of e-mail addresses V.32 electrical standards for modems at 9600

baud V.33 electrical standards for 14.4 modem V.42 data compression standard

ITU Role in Satellite Orbital Slots

Need to avoid frequency interference

– at current time, probability of collision is low because the closest spacing of 2 degrees is about a 900 mile separation

– nations are allocated orbital slots global cooperatives like IntelSat and Inmarasat have

established satellite requirements plays a fact-finding and conflict resolution role in the

demand for scarce orbital slots

Geosynchronous Satellite Band

790 W Westar 1&2

830 W Satcom 4

870 W Comstar 3

910 W Westar 3

950 W Comstar 1&2

990 W Westar 4

1090 W Amik B

1140 W Amik 2&3

1190 W Satcom 2

1230 W Westar 5

1270 W Comstar 4

1310 W Satcom 3R

1350 W Satcom 1

Satellite Transmission of Voice Grade Circuits

14 GHz

12 GHz

Hundreds of Voice grade circuits

ISO (The International Standards Organization)

Membership consists of about 90 national standards bodies, based in Geneva

promotes standards for worldwide use in a variety of fields, including electronics and electrical matters– created the OSI model for interconnectivity in

networking (1978)– US representative is ANSI (American National

Standards Insititue)

ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute)

Founded in 1988 as part of the EEC (European Economic Community) with primary responsibility for broadcasting and teleommunications and shares responsibility for computer technology standards with existing standards groups

ETSI

Its is designed to– develop European telecom standards– use weighted voting from its 21 country

membership– expand scope of membership beyond the PTTs

to include manufacturers, users, service providers, and researchers

American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

– volunteer organization consisting of about 900 equipment manufacturers and users of information technology

– publishes national standards– developing FDDI standard for large backbone

LANs using fiber optic cable

Other Standards Bodies

Electronics Industries Association (EIA) Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

(IEEE) National Institute of Standards and Technology

(NIST) Cooperation for Open Systems (COS) Department of Defense and Federal Communications

Commission are involved, too!